Wild Hog Festival

 
 We had a unique Texas experience today at the Wild Hog Festival in the small town of Sabinal Texas. The highlight of the festival is the "Wild Hog Catching Contest". The first entrants were the tiny tots five years old or younger. All the kids came into the circular fenced pen, and the baby hogs were released. There were plenty of adult helpers on hand. Each child had to catch a pig. Several of the very small kids were a bit hesitant (I would be too!), so the adults helped each one if necessary. Every child got a ribbon and a photo. The next round of contestants were older kids up to the age of 13. They got larger baby hogs and each got ribbons. The rules changed starting with the teens; they worked in pairs as partners and it became a timed event. They got 90 seconds to not only catch the hog, but also to stuff it in a gunny sack and drag it over a line. Of course the hogs got larger also! There were several women teams entered, and most got their hog. The adult teams had pretty large hogs,up to 85 pounds, and they did not want to be caught. These are not the domestic pigs we usually see -- they are ugly critters. One hog actually escaped the pen by leaping over the side - that led to some real excitement until one cowboy finally caught it.

Texas has more wild feral hogs than any other state, and Sabinal is the self proclaimed "Wild Boar Capitol". The wild hog is also called the "poor man's grizzly bear", and is hunted recreationally. The usual size is 125 to 200 lbs but some get larger. The feral hogs are real pests to farmers and ranchers -- they can do severe crop damage and spread disease. These wild boars are one of the smartest, tenacious and most aggressive animals (and ugliest?). They are the result of domestic pigs crossing with imported Russian Boars.

The festival had many different kinds of food -- german, mexican, barbeque and of course the funnel cakes. Four of us shared a delicious funnel cake. There were rides for the kids, and lots of craft booths. We saw a terrific group of cloggers dance. The event is a major fund raiser for the local Lions Club charities. Great small town fun!

Quote of the day: "I once had a rose named after me, and I was very flattered. But I was not pleased to read the description in the catalog: "No good in a bed, but fine up against a wall." Eleanor Roosevelt